Florida State’s E.J. Manuel has frequently been criticized during his Seminoles’ career. Manuel is 23-6 as a starter, including 3-0 in bowl games (beating West Virginia, South Carolina and Notre Dame). But one of those five losses came in the 2010 ACC title game against Virginia Tech when he filled in for the injured Christian Ponder. As a senior, Manuel is certain to want to at least close out his career with a 1-1 record in ACC title contests.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: The winner is bound for the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1 in Miami, Fla., while the loser’s destination will likely be determined by the result. For instance, if Florida State loses, the Seminoles would either go to the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta or the Dec. 28 Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando, Fla. If Georgia Tech loses, the Yellow Jackets are likely head to the Dec. 31 Hyundai Sun Bowl.

NOTABLE: While the ACC title game has topped 70,000 in attendance three times in seven seasons, this year’s game could be the least-attended. The previous low is the 53,212 that saw Virginia Tech beat Boston College 30-16 in 2007….

Georgia Tech is making its first-ever appearance in Mecklenburg County. While the Yellow Jackets are 48-38 against teams from North Carolina, they’ve never played in Charlotte or the county; Georgia Tech is 14-0 all-time against Davidson, but each of those games was played in Atlanta….

BY THE NUMBERS: 8 – It’s the number of ACC championship games and also the number of times a team named “Tech” has represented the Coastal Division. Virginia Tech has represented the division five times, with Georgia Tech making its third appearance this year. For the record, the Techs have combined for a 4-3 record against their Atlantic Division opponents, though Georgia Tech later had to vacate its 2009 title win over Clemson.

FLORIDA STATE GAME PLAN: For a season that began with such high expectations, do the Seminoles come to Charlotte with a fire in their belly to get to a BCS bowl or with disappointment over missed opportunities. A 17-16 loss at N.C. State on Oct. 6 cost Florida State an unbeaten league record as well as whatever chance the Seminoles had at being in the BCS title game. And the 37-26 home loss to Florida last week cost Florida State a third straight win over its bitter in-state rival. Getting an early lead and stopping Georgia Tech’s running game would likely mean a blowout win and a pretty nice “consolation” prize for FSU.

GEORGIA TECH GAME PLAN: The Yellow Jackets’ triple-option spread offense has certainly racked up rushing yards over the years and while they do remain last in the league in passing yards (1,625), they are fourth in efficiency with a 149.7 rating. Can Georgia Tech’s rushing attack that averaged 323.3 yards per game have the same kind of success against the Seminoles, who yield only 85.1 yards per game and allowed 100 or more yards only four times (Clemson, South Florida, Duke, Florida)?

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Much of Florida State’s defensive excellence comes from the pass rushing of ends Bjoern Werner (13 sacks) and Cornellius “Tank” Carradine (11). Since Georgia Tech typically only passes after setting up its run game, will that pass rush be diminished?...

Georgia Tech’s leading rusher Orwin Smith missed last week’s loss at Georgia with an ankle injury. Will he be healthy enough to play and can he be productive?...

Florida State’s E.J. Manuel has frequently been criticized during his Seminoles’ career. Manuel is 23-6 as a starter, including 3-0 in bowl games (beating West Virginia, South Carolina and Notre Dame). But one of those five losses came in the 2010 ACC title game against Virginia Tech when he filled in for the injured Christian Ponder. As a senior, Manuel is certain to want to at least close out his career with a 1-1 record in ACC title contests.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: The winner is bound for the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1 in Miami, Fla., while the loser’s destination will likely be determined by the result. For instance, if Florida State loses, the Seminoles would either go to the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta or the Dec. 28 Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando, Fla. If Georgia Tech loses, the Yellow Jackets are likely head to the Dec. 31 Hyundai Sun Bowl.

NOTABLE: While the ACC title game has topped 70,000 in attendance three times in seven seasons, this year’s game could be the least-attended. The previous low is the 53,212 that saw Virginia Tech beat Boston College 30-16 in 2007….

Georgia Tech is making its first-ever appearance in Mecklenburg County. While the Yellow Jackets are 48-38 against teams from North Carolina, they’ve never played in Charlotte or the county; Georgia Tech is 14-0 all-time against Davidson, but each of those games was played in Atlanta….

Florida State’s Dustin Hopkins will set a NCAA career record for field goals with his next successful conversion. Hopkins has hit 87 3-pointers during his four-year career and enters the ACC championship game tied with Georgia’s Billy Bennett, who also had 87 field goals from 2000-03….

The ACC has already set single-season records for scoring 40 or more points in a game (39), topping 500 yards total offense in a game (35) and 100-yard receiving games (64)….

Florida State leads the all-time series between the two schools at 12-9-1, but Georgia Tech won the last two contests – 31-28 in 2008 in Atlanta and 49-44 in 2009 in Tallahassee, Fla.

PREDICTION: There’s little doubt Florida State hoped when the season opened that this would be a showcase for their BCS title-game hopes. Instead, the Seminoles were upset at N.C. State in October and beaten at home by rival Florida last week. Assuming the Seminoles are motivated to close out the season in a BCS bowl game in Miami, there’s also little doubt they are the most talented team in the title game. Florida State 35, Georgia Tech 24.